The Dragon Hunters
by Molten-Ashes
Summary: A baby dragon pops into existence on Lucy's bed one night, throwing the whole guild into a battle that crosses the dimensional divide. But the Dragon Hunters aren't the only ones seeking the rare hatchling, as the Fire Dragon, Salamander, stalks the cities and countryside of Fiore...


Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail!

Feedback is always appreciated!

(So this idea has been rattling around in my head since I was new to the Fairy Tail scene a few years ago and I decided I'm finally competent enough (and actually have a coherent enough plot) to try and pull it off. This was looked over by the lovely Ice Fata, but mistakes may have fallen through the cracks. I hope you all enjoy!)

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Female dragons had the worst temperaments when they were incubating their egg. It was trait that many males detested, many of which would have to beat down their pride to drop food before their beloveds and make embarrassing pleads just to stay in the same vicinity as their mate. Most would curl tighter around the most precious of their treasures and unleash fury upon those who dares to stray near.

However once the egg had hatched, some semblance of sanity would return and the two could return to their usual routines, slightly altered of course, to care for the new hatchling.

One such Dragoness was curled around her nest, a hatchling cheeping hungrily up at her with bright chocolate eyes, pawing insistently at her side for food.

"Your Father will return soon, my little treasure." She cooed, casting a golden wing with pearled white membrane over her precious child, giggling softly when the baby squawked and flapped his own tiny golden membraned wings energetically, pouncing atop his mother's polished brown talons with a cat like grace, perching loftily to admire her golden scales that were tipped at the edges with flattering cobalt blue. The mother dragon crooned, a deep chested noise that the baby tried to mimic cutely, turning his head up to nuzzle against her muzzle that brushed gently against his juvenile head horns.

The heavy snapping wing beats of another dragon broke the tender moment between Dragoness and Hatchling, the baby chittering happily as the wild scent of fire and burning wood reached them, mixing with the spice of stars that the golden female gave off to create a warm comforting aroma of family.

A red dragon, with pink accenting plodded into the den, his salmon shaded wings flexing when he nearly over balanced, dropping three deer to the floor before his mate and hatchling.

"Salamander." The female sighed lovingly, calling him by his dragon given name, reaching forward to gently head butt her mate's forehead against hers, their horns cracking together like jousting stags.

"Tetrabiblos." the male replied with equal adoration, replying with his mate's own draconian name, pushing forward his offering of bloodied meat and bone, a taloned paw closed around a gift, plucked from the offering bowl of the humans that populated the small village below, who worshiped the dragons as minor deities and often left valuable trinkets out for the great beasts that populated the largest mountain in the Magnolia range, Fairy Mountain. He opened his claws, revealing a precious ruby gem stone necklace, it's chain of gold glinting in the feint light of their cavern.

"It's perfect!" The female trilled, nuzzling her bashful mate that growled with faux annoyance as the golden dragon plucked the trinket from him to dangle over their baby.

The hatchling growled, pouncing with open wings to reach the shiny object, flailing his front claws, squeaking when he landed on his back.

The ruby dragon laughed at his sons playful enthusiasm, his amusement echoing through their cozy cave as his beloved leaned slowly down, their child opening his little maw wide and swallowing the gem stone treat whole.

"His scales will grow strong and healthy, thanks to you." The aurum female quietly commented approvingly, nuzzling her happy mate as he curled around her and their hatchling, dragging a deer to her before reaching for his own.

The pair sighed with deep guttural purrs as they tangled more against each other, their tails twining in the vague oval they had created around their playful hatchling who busily pounced onto his dinner, as his vigilant parents ate their fill from the remaining two deer. Salamander reached down once he was sure his son had finished, swallowing the remains whole as Tetrabiblos licked their troublesome hatchling clean, who squeaked and licked his mother back in what he thought was righteous revenge.

"I heard murmurings in the village when I was down choosing our Treasure's meal from the offering bowl." He announced wearily once their little one was curled snoozing happily in a red and gold ball between his mother's paws. "The Hunter Guild is straying further and further up north towards the Magnolia Mountain Range."

His golden mate curled her lips back in a snarl of distaste at the mere thought of the Dragon Slayer Guild, showing her ivory fangs.

"They haven't been able to get their flying contraptions to work in the thin atmosphere here without consuming too much fuel lacrima." She pointed out with a growl, leaning forward slightly as if to shield her hatchling from the mere idea. "A Herder could make the effort, possibly, but not a Dragon Carrier."

Salamander snorted a flume of brilliant crimson fire, "I promise to protect our future." He said solemnly, fixing his dark onyx gaze upon his small family, earning himself a fond gaze from his beloved, before she leaned into him, pressing her head parallel to his. "Though this talk unnerves me."

Tetrabiblos shrugged, her moonlight pale wings shifting with her movements, "Whatever comes, Salamander, it's always fun when we are together."

Their baby let out a puff of smoke in his dreams, tucking closer to his mother's chest as the adults nuzzled each other, the red dragon casting a wing over his mate's back.

The night was chilled with low lying fog when Salamander made his way out of his cavern, casting his gaze contemplatively to the clouded sky. Their was a heavy pressure in the air, like rain and thunder that made his adrenaline spike. He leaned over the edge of the precipice of his ledge, fanning his wings in the breeze, testing the strength of the currents.

"I'll be back before dawn." He called, before jumping off into the sky, leaving Tetrabiblos to stare longingly after him, with their hatchling clambering all over her back and wings, before jumping after her tail that flicked to and fro across the floor.

The golden dragoness sighed, lowering her soft brown eyes to her talons in thought, wondering what game her mate would bring this time.

Her hatchling scrambled up near her head, staring at his mother in childish adoration, batting his young wings excitedly when she let out a low croon, singing gently to him in the language of the stars from which she was born.

A deep hum interrupted her, her tune fading into a threatening rumble, prompting her son to dart between her forelegs as she moved to her claws. She spread her wings slightly as it grew louder, the shrieks of startled dragons lounging in the night beginning to fill the air when she drew closer to the entrance of her cave, a wretched smell of arid burning tainting the air. Tetrabiblos reached down and grabbed her whining hatchling by the tail, placing him firmly upon her back.

"Clutch tight my Treasure." She advised, satisfied when the dragonet took heed and dug his gold talons into the tiny gaps in her scales.

A deep drone rumbled close as she peered into the night, her scales beginning to glow like the stars that were obscured in the sky. A dragoness darted past, flashing silver and red, Titania, most likely in pursuit of something, tailed by a broad yellow dragon with electricity crackling along his teeth, who swung around and let loose a deafening roar, lightening jolting from its throat.

The single passenger, Herder plane chasing them both exploded in a wash of flames and lacrima crystal.

"Dragon Slayers!" She gasped, her eyes widening as the very mountain rumbled when a Bomber Class Herder performed a strafing run, a wild torrent of fleeing dragons and their hatchlings pouring from cave entrances into the sky. She roared as a defending dragon found himself hit dead on by a reckless Herder, rotors and blades sinking into the soft underbelly and wings with a gruesome pop of crimson rain launched into the sky.

Tetrabiblos crouched and flung herself into the sky, barely missing a Herder plane, chased by a frenzied black dragon, where she quickly found herself in an aerial battlefield, explosions and dazzling dragon breath attacks criss crossing her vision and overloading her senses. She pumped her wings, climbing higher, twisting to miss a diving Herder, the human piloting the flimsy craft screaming into death as she let loose a shining plume of bright blue star fire tinged at the edges with gold and white.

Her hatchling shrieked in terror as she levelled into a steady climb after a group of mothers, while the battle raged below. But as she reached the bottom of the red tinged smoke clouds, the group of females ahead scattered in every direction as a deep rumble breathed down upon the cloud cover, cracking it open like an egg, leaving Tetrabiblos staring down every dragon's nightmare.

A Dragon Carrier.

It had the shape of a blimp, fitted with droning rotors and machinery keeping it in the air. It had a large cargo area hanging beneath the well defended oval, it's very shape in the visage of a snarling demon. The mouth of the demon was wide open, a well lit interior showing off the large chain spear cannons that would drag skewered dragons to a gruesome fate to be sold off piece by piece.

The dragoness roared a challenge, her instincts screaming at her to save her hatchling and defend him from the threat before her.

She never saw the out of control Herder hounded by a snarling ice dragon as she charged a furious burst of magic.

It caught her in the wing, wood, metal, flesh and bone splintered in a dizzying spray of red and golden scales. Tetrabiblos shrieked in agony, star fire flashing from her throat in a wild burst, the world tilting as her other wing became useless without its twin.

Her hatchling slipped, small talons skittering down her back and tail, torn free from her by wooden debris, his infant wings flashing out instinctively only to fail with a terrified wail as his body was to big for the growing appendages.

The world of night, fire, smoke and ground tumbled and spun as she fell, her eyes beginning to close sleepily as the burning agony of her ruined, broken wing took its toll, only for everything to come back with a snap of colour and noise as her hatchling screamed his first word,

"Mamma!"

She reached out, time seeming to slow as the familiar roar of her mate rang out in the distance, his red form alight with furious flames in the corner of her eye as her scales began to shine a blinding glowing gold. Her desire to protect her baby from her own fate rising in one powerful surge in her chest.

Tetrabiblos, the Dragoness of the Stars, let out a final roar as the ground rushed up to meet her, fire shooting into the sky in a star studded plume, enveloping her child and the Dragon Carrier high above in a bright white light.

===Fairy Tail Guild===

Lucy stretched with a groan of comfort as her back popped, prompting a tired yawn hidden by her tattooed hand.

"I'm going to head home, Levy." She smiled, accepting the next few chapters of her novel back from her book obsessed friend and slotting the papers back into her bag. "Natsu and I are heading out on a small job tomorrow, I really hope we don't end up destroying the town again this time, we were only shopping for an old ladies' groceries after all."

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow Lu-chan! Don't worry, I think the Master put the fear of Mavis into him after the last fiasco, it'll be fine!" Levy beamed cheerfully, waving at the blond Celestial Spirit Mage as she made her way to the doors and into the night with a final goodbye.

The walk home was blissfully quiet, balancing on the edge of the canal with her arms flung out for balance, taking deep breaths of the fresh breeze that swept down the street. Her quaint apartment was deserted for once as she got ready for bed after a quick bath, slipping between the covers with a content tired sigh, privately yearning for the next adventure.

The clock ticked away on her desk, a monotonous click drifting her off to sleep while a soft chime echoed in the room as midnight rolled around.

The room seemed to warp at the last chime, the sound dragging as if time itself had bent while a twist off rogue star magic swirled into being at the foot of the sleeping Celestial Mage's bed.

The swirl span brighter and brighter, golden sparkles flashing by the window, before a small dragonet of red and gold popped into existence upon the pink covers, curled into a satisfied, sleeping ball, gently puffing smoke...


End file.
